Flavoured Butters are one of the easiest ways of putting flavour onto a dish. I simply can’t think of anything else you can that make that will transform your cooking so quickly and efficiently. Imagine a simple jacket potato lifted by adding cheesy bacon butter. Boring cooked rice given a punch with lime, ginger, chilli, and coriander butter. Or a grilled chicken breast topped with harissa flavoured butter, amazing!
Make your own ghee at home. It’s easy to do and very versatile. You will get better quality for less money.
Getting to grips with pastry can be a joy or a nightmare. But with a little confidence and a sprinkling of technique the whole process becomes easy and will allow you to make more interesting and enjoyable pastries and desserts. This blog provides you with my favourite recipes for basic sweet and short pastry. Do look up the Food Files page Demystifying Perfect Pastry for a greater insight into the craft.
This recipe was given to me many years ago by Nico Ladenis, a big bear of a man, daunting to work for but with kind heart. This dates back to his restaurant in Pimlico London. He didn’t suffer fools gladly and was known for asking guest to leave. I have used this recipe ever since, and never had need to change it and use it for most sweet blind baked tarts. It freezes well so while you can reduce the quantities given, its best to make the full recipe and freeze it until needed. If fact it impossible to work with it until it is well chilled. Ideally overnight.
This is referred to as sable pastry, a light slightly sandy pastry not dissimilar to shortbread that produces a crisp tart shell that will hold its shape without been tough. Anything you have leftover, make into biscuits, great with morning coffee.
Ingredients, enough to line 4 x 23cm tart shells (3 if your not too hot with the rolling pin).
250g good quality unsalted butter
250g icing sugar
4 large eggs – beaten in a jug
3-5 tbsp double cream
650g plain flour
Pinch salt
I always make this in a food processor, but it’s not essential, you can use a food mixer or even do it by hand but it’s a lot of work. One crucial thing, make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. Get everything out well ahead and if the room is cold warm everything near a radiator for a while.
This is made by the creaming method not unlike some cake mixes. Pop the soft butter into the machine then sieve the icing sugar over the butter. Turn on the machine and process to a smooth buttercream, pulse control is best.
Slowly start adding the egg in a steady stream, if you see the mix beginning to look curdled stop adding egg. This is a sure sign that the mix is too cool and the butter is separating out.
If this happens slightly warm the mix by standing the bowl in some warm water. Don’t overdo it or you will have a butter milkshake.
When all the egg is added, work in 3tbs of the cream then add all the flour in one go and mix in using the pulse control again. Don’t overwork the pastry the last bit of flour is best worked in with a spatula once you have removed the blade from the bowl. If you are having trouble combining it all together add a little more cream.
The mix will be very soft and impossible to work with at this point. Ideally portion out the dough into the amount you will use at one time I make 4 x 350g balls of dough to line a 23cm x 3.25cm flan tins. If you’re not too hot with the rolling pin just break the dough into 3 equal parts.
A great everyday pastry for savoury bakes
To make roughly 350g of pastry
225 unsalted butter
100g plain flour
Pinch table salt
2-3 tbsp very cold water
For savoury pies try using 110g butter with 110 lard to give a crisper finish.
In contrast to the sweet pastry recipes the most important thing here is to keep everything as cold as possible. As luck would have it on the day, I chose to cover the making of the pastry it was quite warm. To combat this, I diced the butter then returned it to the fridge and put the mixing bowl into the fridge to chill before starting.
Weigh the flour into a bowl and place the diced cold butter and salt on top. Using the tips of the fingers rub the butter into the flour until you have a fine breadcrumb texture. If your not overly nimble fingered using a pastry knife will both speed up and keep things cool, improving your pastry.
Make a well in the mix and add the water. Don’t add it all at once, leave a little behind, the exact amount of water will depend on the flour you are using and the whey content of the butter. if you are using lard you will need a dash more but may not need it all, it possible a dash more is required. Form a ball of about 5 cm in diameter. Wrap the dough and refrigerate or freeze until needed.
Give both of these a try, it’s well worth having some in the freezer. having the pastry ready made will encourage you to try out more recipes and it’s so much better that the bought in versions. i will add more pastry recipes and techniques in later blogs lots more baking to come so don’t forget to subscribe for regular blog updates.
Enjoy Life !
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
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